What a year it has been and what joys await at our great Pointer Party. The year has seen great changes with long standing friends deciding to take a back seat and new people stepping up to move the charity forward.

As I write, we have fostered and homed 44 dogs since Christmas; a special thanks to all involved especially Kerry, Carol, Anna, Zoe and Mike, Ally and Fin, and many, many more who help us to home the dogs. This is a record for a year, let alone just the first eight months working out at more than one dog a week. The other great thing that we have been able to do is to make sizeable grants to a number of dog charities including Pointers in Need, Cyprus Pointer Rescue; in total grants of £60,000 were made to six organisations chosen by our departing long time Treasurer Gina Williams, to help as many organisations helping pointers carry on helping!

A victory for campaigners against abuse, the closure of unregulated puppy farms and breeders. There are so many dogs that need a home; puppies are cute but they grow up! The indiscriminate breeding of dogs when so many live in shelters, kennels and on the street had to be dealt with and lets hope other countries take this action too.

It has been a sad year for me, I have lost a number of great friends and a dear dog who made every day a happier one. My very ancient greyhound Nicholson passed away. He was 21 days away from his 18th birthday and although not a Pointer fitted in perfectly as the head of my gang. He kept control, welcomed and trained all dogs coming under our roof either as a permanent member of the family or temporary foster.

We have an exciting year ahead and as always incredibly busy, thanks you to everyone who make our wonderful charity more friendly, inclusive and welcoming to our many new and returning friends.